Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely
advisory 15-member body consisting of the chiefs of the eight
principal tribes, four elected subchiefs, and three members selected
by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (61 seats, 57
members are directly elected by popular vote and four are appointed
by the majority party; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004
(next to be held October 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 52%, BNF 26%, BCP
17%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1
Judicial branch:
High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each
district)
Political parties and leaders:
Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana
National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Congress Party or
BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE]; Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM
[Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]
note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the
BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats; the BAM parties
are: the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the
Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; and the Botswana
Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM,
OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA
chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph HUGGINS embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982 FAX: [267] 312782
Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center
Economy Botswana
Economy - overview:
Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth
rates since independence in 1966. Through fiscal discipline and
sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the
poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per
capita GDP of $9,200 in 2004. Two major investment services rank
Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has
fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than
one-third of GDP and for 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism,
financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are
other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with
high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially is
23.8%, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS
infection rates are the second highest in the world and threaten
Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in
diamond mining production overshadow long-term prospects.